Course leaders and participants will rendezvous in San Juan, Puerto Rico where the trip begins with a leisurely visit through historic Old San Juan. Your group will discover signs of Puerto Rico’s early Spanish culture as you cruise the narrow cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, lined with beautifully colored shops, restaurants, and galleries.

Since Puerto Rico is an island surrounded by translucent Atlantic and Caribbean waters, you’ll want to spend time exploring the spectacular wonderland below. Your group will hop a ferry to the neighboring island of Culebra with its endless beaches and swaying palm trees. Upon arriving on this pristine island your group will spend each day experiencing an island lifestyle while participating in a SCUBA diver course, snorkeling the translucent waters, and exploring the local culture. Mountain bikes will be our source of transportation on the island, getting us from the beaches to the grocery store, and beyond. Upon successful completion of the Scuba diver course. With that in hand we will take the dive boat out for some amazing underwater exploration.

As the course nears its end we will head back to mainland Puerto Rico where we will discover the most unique ecosystem you will ever encounter, the bioluminescent bay. As night descends upon us we will sea kayak into the bay where the ocean is calm and the water sparkles like fairy dust with each paddle stroke. After this amazing experience we will take a trek through the majestic El Yunque rain forest. El Yunque, the highest peak in Puerto Rico, offers spectacular views of the island when you are able to break out from beneath the lush splendor of the rain forest canopy... Join us for the island adventure you’ve been waiting for.

Your Itinerary:

Day 1: Participants arrive into San Juan International Airport (SJU) and are met by Course Instructors. From the airport you will head up into the mountains outside of San Juan where we will stay at a rustic mountainside cabana. We will relax by the pool, issue group gear, and get to know each other.

Day 2: After a local breakfast we will head to Luquillo Beach for some surfing. When not catching some waves we will be relaxing in the sun, snorkeling, and exploring the beautiful beaches. Later that evening we will launch our sea kayaks and explore the amazing waters of a Bioluminescent Bay.

Day 3: We will get up early to catch some more waves (surfing) and then we will catch a local ferry to the neighboring island of Culebra. Once on Culebra we will hop on our mountain bikes, explore the local town, then head up to where our “base camp” will be for the week or so. We will set up our tents around a little casita, the casita contains our kitchen and bathroom. While on Culebra we will use bikes to get around!

Days 4-8: Dive Classes: These days will be a mixture of “classroom” work (although the class room is actually the beach and ocean), snorkeling, exploration, and relaxations, remember we are on island time now! At the end of these days you will have the opportunity to take your NAUI Open Water Diver Certification test, one you pass your are now an Open Water Diver.

Day 9: In the morning we are going to “give back” to the local community by working with a local organization called Coralations. Coralations works to restore and preserve the beaches and coral for future generations to enjoy. We may be cleaning the beach, cleaning coral, painting signs…who knows what, but know that it will feel good to “give back” by participating in this community service project. In the afternoon we will launch our sea kayaks, paddle out to a nearby island, relax on the beach, and explore the beautiful waters by snorkeling around. We will then sea kayak back to the main island where we will head out to a desolate part of the island to witness sea turtles being born and making their journey back into the water.

Day 10: Today we will get up early, board our dive boat, and head out for a day of Scuba diving.

Day 11: Today is another day of “giving back”, followed by some more sea kayaking and turtle watching.

Days 12-13: We’re not done Scuba diving yet the next 2 days will be spent exploring distinctly different areas from wreckage to coral you will be amazed.

Day 14: Today we will bike out to a remote part of the island for some amazing snorkeling. We will then head back to town and catch the ferry back to mainland Puerto Rico where we will return to our rustic mountainside cabana.

Day 15: After an early breakfast we will trek into th El Yunque Rain forest for a day of exploration, naturalist hikes, waterfalls, wildlife, and much more. For most, this is a highlight! We will then return to our cabana for a pig roast dinner and last-night party.

Day 16: Visit the city of Old San Juan, explore the forts of El Morro and catch our flights home!